Situated on the south side of the Stour Valley in a Special Landscape Area, the Village of Ashen had in 2001 315 residents living in some 120 dwellings. The parish boundary runs along the River Stour to the north and abuts the parish boundaries of Ridgewell, Ovington and Belchamp St Paul on its other sides. At its centre is a conservation area and the parish contains a wealth of listed buildings and other remains, including the 12th c. church, which is listed grade A and is of national importance. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book (please see the separate pages on the history of the village and the church).
The village has an active community with a village hall and a playing field and children’s playground, which has been recently replaced to a high standard. There is a flower club and a local arts club (based at Clare). There are numerous events over the year, many organised by the Village Hall Committee, including the village fete and other events ( including a highly successful art exhibition combined with a village barbeque and teddy bears parachute jump). There are a number of livery stables in the area. There are tennis courts and a bowls club at Stoke-by-Clare, just across the river. The regional Stour Valley footpath runs through the parish along the river to the north. The village is accessed by lanes of considerable charm and antiquity including Doctor’s Lane and Hollow Road. There are shops at Clare (including a Coop generally open all days of the week), Stoke-by-Clare and Ridgewell. Major supermarkets are available at Haverhill, Sudbury and Braintree along with an extensive range of leisure and other facilities. The Stour Valley is rightly renowned for its landscape and historic buildings. Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds are reasonably near by with their extensive facilities.

There are twice weekly bus services to Haverhill and Sudbury. The nearest railway stations are at Sudbury, Braintree and Wendens Ambo.